“Where Thou May Rest: Researching Cemeteries for Genealogy, Part I”
LaDonna Garner, M.A., R.V.T.
Recordings $69.99
What do you really know about the resting places of your ancestors? Have you noted additional information regarding your ancestors’ burials beyond what is entered on their death certificate? The beginner to intermediate researcher will learn how to locate an ancestor’s burial site, examine its history and cemetery grounds, and gleam every bit of information from the burial site without repeat visits to aid the family story.
LaDonna Garner, M.A., is a consultant in Southeast Missouri. She has earned an M.A. in Historic Preservation and focuses on forgotten communities and cemetery preservation. She has held various genealogical society positions including vice-president, editor, fundraiser, speaker, syllabus chair, and active volunteer as well as a curator for a historic property. Her current project regards the recording and mapping of minority communities in S.E. Missouri. Garner is passionately merging genealogy and historic preservation for a greater understanding of people, places, and cultural heritage.
Course Schedule (all times U. S. Eastern)
Day One
- Session One: “Understanding Cemeteries”: Explore the evolution of cemeteries, their style types, and various burial traditions in the U.S.
- Session Two: “Documenting Burial Places”: Learn how to investigate the family burial site, verify its location, condition, and recorded documentation.
Day Two
- Session Three: “On The Cemetery Trail”: Don’t be caught off guard, prepare for a trip to the cemetery with the right equipment, knowledge of the best and discontinued practices, and alternative techniques for collecting your ancestors’ information from headstones the first time around.
- Session Four: “Making Headstones Memorable”: Make the most of what the cemetery to expand an ancestor’s death information by understanding the symbolism chosen for a headstone, mapping an ancestor’s final resting place, and forming appropriate cemetery citations for the data collected.